Abstract
Background: There has been much research devoted to examining the short-term effects of different interventions for improving memory functioning of older adults with memory complaints. Nevertheless, very few studies have examined the long-term effects of these interventions. Thus, the present study compared the sustained effects of a conventional memory intervention (MI) and a Chinese lifestyle intervention on improving memory functioning in older adults.Methods: Twenty-nine older adults who were aged 60 years and older and had memory complaints were recruited. Each completed 10 weekly sessions of the Dejian Mind-body Intervention (DMBI; n = 11) or MI (n = 18) approximately 18 months ago. Participants’ verbal and visual memory functioning and their subjective impression of the changes of their memory performance and physical and psychological health status were evaluated.Results: Results showed significant improvements in memory in both intervention groups at the follow-up assessments when compared with baseline. In addition, older adults in both intervention groups perceived improved memory performance and physical and psychological wellness at follow-up, with the DMBI group reporting significantly greater improvements in physical health compared to the MI group.Conclusion: Altogether, the present study provides supportive evidence that the DMBI and MI might be two effective remedies for older adults to improve or preserve their memory functioning with relatively sustained effects.
Highlights
Memory complaints that occur in older adults have been shown to be a risk factor for the development of dementia (Jonker et al, 2000; Mitchell et al, 2014)
The group differences in changes of memory functioning over time were examined
The results of Group × Time mixed ANOVA showed no significant main effects of group nor Time × Group interactions for any of the Hong Kong List Learning Test (HKLLT) and WMS-III-VR indices, Fs ≤ 2.3, ps ≥ 0.14. These results suggest that the extent of improvement in memory functioning in the Dejian Mind-body Intervention (DMBI) group was statistically comparable to that of the memory intervention (MI) group
Summary
Memory complaints that occur in older adults have been shown to be a risk factor for the development of dementia (Jonker et al, 2000; Mitchell et al, 2014). They have been shown to be associated with reduced physical and mental health well-being (Comijs et al, 2002; Ito et al, 2013; Steinberg et al, 2013). There has been much research devoted to examining the short-term effects of different interventions for improving memory functioning of older adults with memory complaints. The present study compared the sustained effects of a conventional memory intervention (MI) and a Chinese lifestyle intervention on improving memory functioning in older adults
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